1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of valves and more particularly to a diverter valve which can be installed between a shower inlet and a shower head to allow quick connection/disconnection of a hand held sprayer used for cleaning shower stalls and bathrooms.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of attachments in shower plumbing systems has been well known in the art for some time. Typically these attachments are comprised of a flexible conduit which may be coupled adjacent to a shower head at one end of the conduit to allow fluid communication with a hygiene nozzle secured to the second end of the conduit. These nozzles are intended for daily use and may include hand held spray heads for rinsing off during showering or dental syringes for oral hygiene.
Attachments such as those referred to above often integrate valving systems which include coupling components and diverter valves. Because these attachments are intended to be used daily in conjunction with the act of showering and/or hygiene, they are permanently coupled adjacent the shower head. Additionally, for those devices which are intended to be used simultaneously with the shower head, the diverter valve may permit a partial flow of water to the shower head and a partial flow of water to the attachment.
The patents listed below are representative of the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,337, issued to Baugher, teaches a dental syringe attachment which includes a diverter valve attached in-line between a shower head and a water supply pipe. The diverter valve includes a coupling for permanently attaching the dental syringe to the valve. Additionally, the valve includes a rotatably mounted portion which directs water flow to the shower head when rotated to a first position and directs water flow to the syringe when rotated to a second position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,229, issued to Rice et al., also discloses an oral hygiene apparatus for use with showers. Rice teaches a hollow valve body which interconnects the shower inlet pipe with the shower head. A permanently attached hose leading from a needle valve regulated orifice in the valve body connects to a nozzle applicator. The needle valve is manually rotated to control the flow of water into the orifice, through the hose and out the nozzle. In this case, the needle valve functions only to divert a portion of the water flow to the shower head such that water flows from both the shower head and the nozzle.
Another oral hygiene apparatus is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,331, issued to Stewart. This device includes a permanently attached oral syringe in fluid communication with a shower head by way of a valving assembly. The valving assembly contains a manually adjustable valve stem which controls a diverter valve. The threaded valve stem can be rotated to a first position to allow water flow to both the shower head and the nozzle. Alternatively, in cases of low pressure, the valve stem can be further rotated until water flow to the shower head is completely diverted to the syringe nozzle.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,471,872, issued to Symmons, teaches a spray nozzle permanently attached to a bathtub or shower fixture by way of flexible conduit. The fixture contains a diverter valve which diverts water flow to the nozzle in response to a drop in pressure created by opening the nozzle. When the nozzle is closed, a head pressure forces the valve open and allows water flow to the shower head. When the nozzle is opened, a back pressure is created on the valve, forcing it to close and terminating water flow to the shower head. No water will flow out of the shower head so long as the nozzle is passing water. However, when the nozzle is closed, the valve will again be pressured open and water flow to the shower head will resume.
Each of the above mentioned devices is useful to serve the purpose for which it was designed, however, none is well suited for attachments used to clean shower stalls or other bathroom fixtures. For instance, each of the above described devices teaches permanent attachment of a flexible conduit to some type of diverter valve assembly. Permanent attachment is necessary because these devices are intended to be used on a regular basis, i.e., daily. However, such configurations are not conducive to attachments used for cleaning shower stalls or other bathroom fixtures because attachments such as these are required on a less frequent basis, i.e., only during cleaning. When not in use, these cleaning attachments may inhibit use of the shower head. Additionally, some of the above-described devices divert only a portion of the water flow to the attachments, such that water continues to flow out of the shower head also. When cleaning bathroom fixtures, especially shower stalls, it would be undesirable for water to continue to flow out of the shower head because persons who have entered the shower stall to clean the area may become wet.
Furthermore, the limited range of movement of a typical shower head and the limited head pressure in the shower head make it difficult to direct a stream of water to all areas of a shower stall for cleaning purposes. Even when water can be directed to a desired area, the water spray pattern from a shower head makes it difficult to contain the spray to a limited area. For example, when cleaning shower doors or the upper portions of a shower compartment, a typical shower head can not be positioned to direct a rinsing spray to these areas. Thus, these areas may remain unrinsed or water must be transported to these areas using some other means, such as a container.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a diverter valve assembly and cleaning attachment which would allow the cleaning attachment to be easily removed and stored until needed. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide a diverter valve which shuts off water flow to the shower head when the attachment system is connected. Finally, it would be desirable to provide a rinsing system which allows water to be selectively directed to a an area to be rinsed.